DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2020.v08i12.005

Pages: 594-601

This study investigates how informal communal networks, including peer mentorship, shared meals, and cultural gatherings, reduce psychological stress and enhance identity stability among African students studying abroad. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, it integrates quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to examine the relationship between communal participation, emotional well-being, and cultural belonging. Quantitative analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between communal participation and perceived stress, while qualitative findings showed that cultural practices, shared faith, and group support fostered emotional reassurance and identity continuity. These networks served as protective and adaptive spaces that supplemented or, in many cases, replaced institutional support systems often perceived as culturally detached. The study concludes that communal interaction transforms cultural displacement into resilience and belonging. It recommends that universities integrate communal frameworks within student support systems to promote long-term well-being, inclusion, and intercultural competence among African and other collectivist student populations.